Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Holidays and festivities in Malaga

Holidays and festivities in Malaga
 
Below you can see the annual local, regional and national holidays that are celebrated in Malaga.
The Feria of Malaga and the holy week before Easter are the main festivities. 

The Feria and the holy week before Easter are not official holidays, but the opening hours of shops and offices during these two important events are often adjusted. 
 
JANUARY
January 6 | Epiphany (Epifania del Señor / Reyes Magos)


FEBRUARY
February 28 | Holiday Andalusia (Día de Andalucía)


MARCH / APRIL
Holy Week, the week Easter (Semana Santa)
Maundy Thursday (Jueves Santo)
• Good Friday (Viernes Santo)


MAY
May 1 | Labor Day (Dia del trabajo)


JUNE
June 18 | Commemoration death patron saints Ciriaco and Paula

Procession (Patrones de Málaga)
June 23 | Dia de San Juan
 
JULY
July 16 | La Virgen del Carmen | Patron sailors, procession

 
AUGUST
August 15 | Holy Assumption (Asunción de la Virgen)
around 15 August to 19 August | Feria de Málaga
• 19 August | Establishment of the city of Málaga (Incorporación de Málaga)


SEPTEMBER
September 8 | Day in honor of the patron saint of Málaga and the birth of the Virgin Mary. (Procession Virgen de la Victoria, Dia de la Victoria)

OCTOBER
October 12 | Dia de la Hispanidad (the day that Columbus discovered America in 1492)


NOVEMBER
• 1 November | Saints' Day (Dia de todos los Santos)


DECEMBER
December 6 | Constitution Day (Día de la Constitución)
December 8 | Immaculate Conception (Inmaculada Concepción)
December 25 | Christmas (Navidad)


Holidays are very important to the people. 

Monday, April 29, 2013

Airlines flying to Malaga.

Airlines flying to Malaga.

Malaga Airport is the main airport for the Costa del Sol in Spain. The airport is located eight miles southwest of Malaga and five miles north of Torremolinos. The airport has flights to more than 60 countries worldwide and processed 13,590,803 passengers in 2007. Since then, passenger numbers reduced to 12,823,117 (2011).


The airport is managed by AENA, the Spanish state.




 
 




There are several airlines that fly to Malaga:

Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aigle Azur, Air Algerie, Air Arabia Maroc, Air Berlin, Air Bucharest,
AirExplore, Air Europa, Air Finland, Air France, Air Italy, Air Méditerranée, Air Transat,
Alitalia, Arkefly, Austrian Airlines, Blue Air, Bmibaby, British Airways, Brussels Airlines,
Bulgaria Air, Cimber Sterling, City Airline, Condor, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines,
Eastern Airways, EasyJet, Enter Air, Europe Airpost, Finnair, Flybe, Freebird Airlines,
Germanwings, Helicopteros del Sureste, Iberia, Iberworld, Icelandair, Itali Airlines,

Jet2, Jetairfly, Jettime, Charters LOT, Lufthansa, Luxair, Malev Hungarian Airlines,
Meridiana, Monarch, Niki, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Onur Air, Primera Air Scandinavia,
Privilege Style, Royal Air Maroc, Ryanair, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines,
Small Planet Airlines, Smart Lynx Italia, Spanair, Strategic Airlines, Sun d'Or International Airlines, Swiftair, Swiss International Air Lines, TAP Portugal, Thomas Cook Airlines,
Thomson Airways Titan Airways, Transareo, Transavia, Travel Service, Trawel Fly, Tunisair,
Tunisair, Turkish Airlines, VIM Airlines, Vueling, XL Airways France









Saturday, April 27, 2013

Golf Courses in Malaga

Golf Courses in Malaga
 
Spain is a very popular golf destination, especially because of the climate but also by many beautifully landscaped golf courses and resorts.


In the south of Spain, on the Costa del Sol you will find most golf courses. This region is also known as the Costa del Golf.
In Spain are over 300 golf courses and is also a popular sport under the local population.


Often renting a buggy is almost a requirement, many courses are hilly and walking is not really an option because of  the warm climate at the Costa del Sol.


Playing golf in Spain is as the rest of Spain, no rush, take your time and what you can´t finish today you can finish tomorrow! Most golf courses have a club house where you can have something to eat or drink.
Unlike the local population, the staff speaks good English. This makes playing golf  in Spain very pleasant.
 
Below are some names of golf courses in Malaga.


Calanova Golf Club * El Candado Club * Lauro golf * Parador de Malaga Golf *  Parador Malaga del Golf Club * Real Club de Campo de MalagaGolf Torrequebrada *

Nightlife in Malaga

Nightlife in Malaga

A night out in Malaga starts for many young people on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, near the birthplace of Picasso, at the Plaza de la Merced. Not so long ago that evening began in the surrounding bars and cafes, but outside on the square itself. Gradually when the evening falls the square can become pretty busy.  Groups of young people get together and everyone brings their own plastic bag with beer, tinto de verano, a bottle of liquor or whatever you feel of bringing. Later, they start going to the bars and nightclubs in Malaga centre which are open till late.  This particular phenomenon is called Botellón, recently forbidden because of the noise, rubbish and problems they caused.

 If you want to go out in Malaga have fun options include the following:DiscoMalaga has not much real nightclubs, but does have a lot of bars with a dance floor. Two nice nightclubs Pako Paya and Village Green. Liceo has 4 dance floors spread over 2 floors. The crowd is a mix of students, foreigners, tourists and 'older youth'.
 
Artdisco Warhol on Calle Denis Belgrano is best known among the gay scene in Malaga, just like bar La Reina, where you are welcome if you have another preference. When disco Anden they run many Latin American music.

  
DrinksThe guides are full of them, but you should have seen: Bar Bodega El Pimpi. This hundred year old tourist hotspot is a popular venue because of the special atmosphere and ambiance. There is a variegated audience of all ages, many tourists but also many Spaniards. On the wall is decorated with pictures of the many celebrities who have ever been. In each of the many areas is something to do and see. Especially at lunchtime there is the cozy evening gets busier and noisier. There is also regular live (flamenco) music.Bar Bodega El Pimpi has two entrances, one on the Plaza de la Merced and the other on Calle Granada.

 
Salsa!Malaga has several venues where you can dance. At restaurant El Jardin on Calle Cañon you can listen to Spanish songs or poems on Friday tango and flamenco dancing, and mostly affect Spanish locals. The whole evening listening to flamenco, you can include in Vista Andalucía on Avenida de los Guindo. For live jazz music you need to El Cantor de Jazz in Calle Lazcano 7.
 
The day after


In Moscatel you on Sunday afternoon at Hotel Cohiba recover from all your escapades from the night before. They give it delicious mojitos as with Kaleido to the port of Benalmadena. In the disco Kaleido they organize regular theme nights, housepartys and guest appearances by various DJs. And Cohiba is often rotated tasty salsa music.TheaterFor a cultural night out you have to go to the famous theater of the city, Teatro Cervantes. The original building dates from 1870 but fell into disrepair over the years strongly until completely restored in 1984. The theater offers over 1,100 seats and represents all genres, from opera to dance.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Catedral de la manquita



Catedral de la manquita
The Cathedral of Malaga from the year 1487, and is built on the lot of the former Mosque Aljama by the Catholic Kings Isabel and Fernando, just a few days after the conquest of Malaga.
The construction of the cathedral took more than two centuries, from the second half of the 16th century to the third part of the 18th century, which explains the interesting combination of styles. A Gothic style in the lowest part, during the Renaissance one of the temple doors and a baroque style in the decoration of the lintels and the façade.
The choir from the 17th century is extraordinary. 40 of 58 wooden figures carved by the famous sculptor Pedro de Mena. The magnificent organ, built by Julian de la Orden in 1871, are highly valued by musical experts because of the excellent engineering and phenomenal musical quality.
In the year 1782 was an end to the long construction process, with nogsteeds first tower until today has not been reduced. The work was completed by royal command when the tower was half built. The money, which was intended for the construction of the second tower, was used to Victims of Earthquake in Mobile, supporting America
For this reason, this Cathedral was given the nickname "La Manquita" (the little one-armed woman).

 


Definition
The structure of the Cathedral of Malaga is based on massive pillars, made using materials from the Sierra de Mijas and El Torcal in Antequera .. The lower part of these pillars have been decorated to the first platform, from there, the pillars have a square form, which is in direct connection with the roof. The roof consists mainly of arches and round shapes.
The Basilica consists of 3 rooms, each with the same height of 41.79 meters, however, the middle one is wider than the other 2 rooms.
One of the most beautiful rooms in the Cathedral is the majestic chapel "Capilla Mayor" which is the work of Diego de Vergara. This Chapel is half round with walls and high windows, closed with a semicircular roof which gives a spacious impression.
It's definitely worth it to go visit.
Hours:
10:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Friday.From 10:00 to 17:00 on Saturday.Closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Spanish food and drinks

Spanish food and drink

When it comes to food is Spain of course most famous for its tapas, a cluster of small and varied, often original snacks. Every bar and every restaurant has different tapas, something for everyone. Tasty, but also expensive. Especially in the center.


The specialty of Malaga is pescaíto frito, fried small fish. But Espetos, grilled sardines on a stick, are very popular. Another typical dish of Malaga is porra antequerana (a special kind of gazpacho). Gazpacho is a Spanish (for) dish. It is a cold soup of vegetables and herbs, usually with tomato. This soup is not heated but should be eaten cold


The name gazpacho comes from the Latin word caspa which stands for scrap or trifle. Even before the Romans, the
Spanish shepherds made a kind of gazpacho,  because gazpacho alleviate the hunger, quenches thirst and provides the body with the necessary vitamins and salt.

Ingredients• Tomatoes• Red peppers• Cucumber• Onions• Water• Wine vinegar• Olive oil• Garlic• Salt• Croutons

Some of these ingredients can be served separately, so that each can add them to your taste. The wine vinegar and olive oil must be of good quality according to the Spanish people.

A popular drink in Malaga is Cartojal, a slightly sweet wine that is sold in plastic bottles. Very practical, because during the famous Feria de Málaga, the street littered with plastic rather than glass. The wine "Malaga Virgen" is highly recommended, and with a nice bottle of olive oil,  a typical local product to take to the home as a gift.


Spaniards generally eat very late. They have breakfast until mid-morning. Lunch between 14:00 and 16:00 is the most important meal of the day. In the evening they wait to eat until the sun goes under (and cooler!), between 21.00 and 23.00.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Ruiz Picasso was born on October 25, 1881 in Plaza de la Merced, Malaga, Spain.  Picasso was the only son of the family and his handsome appearance and precocious talents did soon get used it to praise and love, which would remain his whole life. Picasso's father, José Ruiz Blasco, was also an artist - still lifes of dead game and bushes lilac blossoms were his specialty , but to make ends meet he gave drawing lessons and he was curator of the local museum. Both Don Jose as Picasso's mother, Maria Picasso Lopez, encouraged the artistic ambitions of their son, when he was very young very talented proved. Later, Picasso took his mother's name, because 'Ruiz' in his region occurred much .Malaga is not for nothing the city of Pablo Picasso, so you can also visit the birthplace of Picasso next to the Picasso Museum (Casa Natal de Picasso). On the Plaza de la Merced 15 you walk into life this artist. It may be an everyday yellow corner house are on the market square Plaza de la Merced, yet has clearly Pablo Picasso's signature written. When you want to see his real work, it is best to visit the Picasso Museum, where you can admire more than 300 works. In this house you'll get a good picture of how the young Pablo grew and came into contact through his father with painting. Be sure to visit during a trip to Malaga! The Picasso Museum is a museum in Malaga (Andalusia, Spain) located at the Palacio de Buenavista in the vicinity of the birthplace of Pablo Picasso located in the center of the city. It has approximately 300 works, including sculptures and ceramics. "The Museo Picasso" in Malaga was founded on the initiative of the Junta de Andalucía. The collection includes works from Picasso's youth as creations of the last phase of his life.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Muelle Uno

Malaga has a very active trading port. I suggest you take a walk on the quay with the aim to find a nice view over the city and as the Alcazaba, Gibralfaro Castle and the cathedral to discover.
You also get the chance to see the vibrancy of the
maritime to do with it, an atmosphere that is so different than the atmosphere in the city.

The new port of Malaga, "Muelle 1" or "Muelle Uno" is the new promenade with shops, cafes and restaurants, recreation for children and a beautiful garden with palm trees.


Almost daily there are large cruise ships arriving in Malaga, in this new docking port. The area is primarily intended for visitors from the ships, but it is also an attractive area for the other tourists of the city and its inhabitants.



The mall is on the side of the Paseo de la Farola - the effect is the same as the entrance of the gate. You will find about 60 shops, offering a variety of fashion, accessories, shoes, beauty products, flowers, furniture, decoration and food. Many famous brands are represented, such as Mango, Amichi, Adolfo Dominguez, Tommy Hilfinger, Bimba,, Timberland, Diesel, Roberto Verino, Andy Craft, Mandragora, ETXART, Panno, Kiko, Lacoste, Levi's, Loft Six, Decimas, and No. Bella.


The wide choice of restaurants makes it easy to create a perfect opportunity for lunch or dinner to find. Typical Spanish tapas and menus, Mexican food, Indian food and of course lots of fresh fish and seafood. The restaurants have an inviting, modern and comfortable atmosphere, with nice furniture, very different from all those plastic chairs and tables that you often see here. Here you can enjoy your day and watch the people and the boats and the beautiful views of La Alcazaba.


Besides this area you will find the new palm garden (Palmeral de las Sorpresas), where you can relax between hundreds of palm trees with a playground for children upon.


For the children there is an indoor playground, at the entrance to the underground car park and the palm tree garden.

There is an underground parking garage right under "Muelle 1" is, so you do not have to worry about parking or a long, long way to walk on your visit to the new port.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Selwo Marina

Selwo Marina
 
A day trip to the Spanish dolphinarium "Selwo Marina 'guarantees fun for the whole family and gives you information about the ecosystems of South America.

 
You can see all kinds of sea creatures, dolphins, sea lions and walruses to flamingos, penguins and reptiles from the Amazon close up.

 
On the Papagayo Club you see a wide variety of exotic birds, there are also demonstrations by various birds which are an instructive insight about their way of life.

 
On Ice Island you see the penguins live in a special refrigerated environment so she is in a similar circumstance life in Antarctica.

 
There are various entertainment shows including dolphins, exotic birds. The animals themselves are the stars of the show. There is a lot of interaction between the trainers, the dolphins jumping and diving much. So if you sit at the front, you will definitely get wet!




 
There is also a nice 3d show that children learn to better care for our oceans than we adults do now.
The free adjacent city park Parque de la Paloma is also very rewarding for additional family fun and a nice playground.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

The beaches of Malaga

The beaches of Malaga city have a length of about 15 km. From east to west you will find the beaches of El Candado, Las Acacias, Baños del Carmen, La Malagueta, San Andres, La Misericordia, Guadalhorce and Guadalmar.


Almost all the beaches of Malaga have a blue flag.
Here is a brief overview of the most popular beaches in Malaga:


El Candado Beach: next to the marina of the same name, is a dark sandy beach with showers, sun beds and umbrellas, but no public toilets.


Las Acacias Beach: Pedregalejo beach, with disabled access and a high degree of capacity in high season.

 
Baños del Carmen: Beach with rocks and low capacity utilization. Few facilities.


La Malagueta beach: dark sand beach is very popular with the locals, often busy. Not accessible for people with disabilities.

 
San Andres beach: dark sand beach, popular with locals and with a high occupancy rate. Not accessible for people with disabilities.

 
La Misericordia beach: dark sand beach on the outskirts of the city, occupancy rate is average and the beach does not have many facilities.

 
Guadalhorce beach: dark sand beach, is isolated with little influx of visitors. There are no facilities and it is not accessible for disabled people.

 
Guadalmar beach: dark sand beach, has an average occupancy and is next to San Julian beach. It has a naturist / nudist area with marked access.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Shopping in Malaga

Malaga and the surrounding Costa del Sol is a huge shopping paradise.

The best fashion boutiques, jewelers and antique shops in the world are located here, and even the most discerning traveler a wide range of quality products like.


Calle Marques de Larios
The main shopping Málaga Calle Marqués de Larios. All major international and national retailers - including El Corte Inglés (Spanish Bijenkorf) - are represented here. The extension of this street - Calle Granada - you can not miss if shopper. You can freely shop, because the streets are pedestrianized. Dive certainly one of the side streets in: here are smaller and quaint shops.



Plaza Mayor
The Plaza Mayor - a large shopping mall near the airport - is very popular among the locals. There is a large variety of shops and boutiques all of which are open until 22:00. Also here's a cinema, restaurants, bowling and fitness center on. A multifunctional spot so!

markets
On almost every day of the week there is somewhere in or near Malaga a market. The Ataranzas is the largest and most important market of the city, built in an old and typical nineteenth-century market. Here you will find mostly food. Take some of the culinary local produce such as dried ham, a bag of tasty herbs or fresh olives: they are definitely worth a try!

The new port
In November 2011, Muello Uno accessible to the public. Muello Uno has an area of 56,000 square meters equipped with numerous shops, restaurants and bars. Given its location on the sea you can also take a leisurely stroll.

Monday, April 8, 2013

History of Málaga

History of Malaga
 
On the place where now the city is,  once stood a settlement of the Turdulen, a Pre-Romanic people who lived in the south of the Iberian Peninsula


There are two theories about how the city was founded. According to one of these, around 1000 v.Christus. Malaga was  founded as one of the colonies of the Phoenicians.  It is probably the oldest and most extensive Phoenician settlement in Spain, due to its convenient location on the Mediterranean Sea, and the possibilities for the construction of a harbor at the foot of the mountain "Gibralfaro". 

Another theory says that the city was founded by a colony from Phocea, who gave Malaga the name Mainake. Howeverproof of this is found only in a few written documents, but there are never found archaeological remains of civilization pointing to the Greek founders called  Phocea. Anyway, in the nearby towns of Antequera, Nerja, Comares and Rincón de la Victoria, remains can be found of a much earlier civilization, perhaps of the legendary Tartessians

The city was in any case known as "Malaka". Even though it is often said that this name comes from the Phoenician word for "salt", that is linguistically not credible. Most likely, however, the name of the Semitic term MLKT to Melkart, or God of the city (Malik Kart)Melkart was the god of trade

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Weather Malaga

Best time to visit Malaga:

The mild temperatures of Malaga making it a pleasure at any time of year to visit Malaga.
It is hot in the summer, but not oppressive, and the location on the coast is a good breeze to keep. In Augusts the summer in Spain and then Malaga are the primary Fiesta going on, so it can be very crowded and it is wise to book early your flight and hotel.
Off-season months like February or November can be pleasant times to explore the city, with low property prices and not too many tourists.

The average temperatures in Malaga:

January 17
February 17
March 19
april 21
May 24
June 27
July 30
August 31
september 27
October 23
november 19
december 16

Thursday, April 4, 2013

The AP-7 or Autopista del Mediterráneo



The AP-7 or Autopista del Mediterráneo, is a autopista along the entire Spanish south and east coasts.
The path coincides with the corridor of the A-7. The highway connects France to Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Malaga and Algeciras. Where the AP-7 is missing, there is an A-7, and vice versa. Walk on both highways often coexist.

The toll part of the road,  of the old N-VII, so the AP-7, is 921 km long. This will be expanded in the future. In the future, the AP-7 1380 km long and forms a continuous toll connection between France and the southern tip of Spain.

There is often confusion about these 2 roads. The A-7 and AP-7 are both 2 parallel roads along the Mediterranean coast. The AP-7 is a toll highway for through traffic, and the A-7 is a toll-free highway for local traffic.
Currently, the A-7 and AP-7 along the route from the French border to Algeciras, but it is intended that in future two parallel highways lie, the A-7 of 1330 km, and the AP-7 of 1380 kilometers. This is already the case in the area between Gibraltar and Malaga, where the A-7 runs across all tourists’ cities, and the AP-7 bit further inland. Elsewhere it is the other way, and runs the A-7 further inland, including between Valencia and Alicante, and between Elche and Vera.

The construction of the A-7 comes primarily from the conversion of the existing N-340, while the AP-7 on a new route lies. This also explains the higher density exit on the A-7. On the road sections where roundabouts in preventing the A-7 also numbered as N-340, and the substandard and highway sections only if A-7.